Tow target including a controllable source of heat radiation

ABSTRACT

An aerial tow target consisting essentially of two orthogonal triangular airframes has been augmented with a butane burner or the like to provide a target for radiation seeking missiles.

Unite States Patent Inventors Ephraim Regelson Mariposa;

William S. Roney, Ridgecrest, both of Calif. 838,139

July 1, 1969 Nov. 30, 1971 The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy Appl. No. Filed Patented Assignee TOW TARGET INCLUDING A CONTROLLABLE SOURCE 01F HEAT RADIATION 2 Claims, 2 Drawing Figs.

U.S. Cl 273/ 105.3 Int. Cl F4lj 5/08 Field ofSearch 273/l05.3;

[561 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,869,120 1/1959 Lolmaugh ,1 273/1053 2,978,700 4/1961 Stevens 273/1053 3,041,833 7/1962 Vore 60/3982 3,229,463 1/1966 Dryden.. (SO/39.48 3,410,559 11/1968 Miller 273/1053 Primary ExaminerRichard C. Pinkham Assislanl Examiner-Marvin Siskind Attorneys-R S. Sciascia and R. Miller ABSTRACT: An aerial tow target consisting essentially of two orthogonal triangular airframes has been augmented with a butane burner or the like to provide a target for radiation seeking missiles.

PATENTED NUVBO 197i CONTROL menus INVENTORS. EPHRAI M REGELSON WILLIAM S. RON EY BY ROY MIL L E R ATTOR N EY. G ERALD F. BAK ER AGE NT.

TOW TARGET INCLUDING A CONTROLLABLE SOURCE OF HEAT RADIATION BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to improvements and modifications in Aerial Tow Targets such as disclosed in assignees prior US. Pat. Nos. 2,821,396, issued Jan. 28, 1959 and 2,978,700, issued Apr. 4, 1961 to L. W. Seeley and to Lewis A. Stevens and William S. Roney respectively.

Previous attempts to provide a heat radiation augmented tow target for testing of missiles consisted mainly of attaching flares to the target airframe. Flares, however, are notably unpredictable, uncontrollable, erratic and of short duration.

The tow target according to the present invention provides a reliable, predictable and controllable heat source target having a heat duration sufficient for several passes at the target if necessary.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one modification of the invention; and

FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of the burner, fuel supply and controls for a second embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The target system 10 includes a target airframe comprising four fins 12 with appropriate towing gear and a forward counterweight member 13. A pressure tank 14 adapted to be filled with a combustible fuel is fastened to the fins amidships so that the center of gravity of the tank is approximately at the center of gravity of the assembled device. The tank 24 is provided with a fill valve 26 controlled by handwheel 15. A burner 20 is fastened to fins 12 at the aft end of the airframe and is connected to tank 24 through a pipe 18, expansion valve 16 and drier 17.

The burner may be remotely operated by providing remote control for valve 16 and ignition device 22, see FIG. 2. The airframe members 12 are of light material and the target, in

order to support the tank 24, is reinforced by a steel rib 23 and plates 19. These reinforcing members are connected together by means of a conical steel fairing 25. Burner 20 is fastened to each of ribs 12 by means of lugs 27 welded to the burner 20 and riveted to each fin 12.

Just before takeoff valve 26 is opened by turning handwheel l5 sufficiently to allow fuel to flow from fitting 22 through drier l7 and expansion valve 16 to burner 20 which may then be manually ignited. Burning is relatively inefficient before takeofi' but efficiency increases rapidly as ram air is forced through tubes 21 (at least one in each quadrant) to supply oxygen to the fuel.

By addition of a solenoid valve 102 and an electrically actuated ignition device 106 (See FIG. 2) the burner may be automatically fired at a predetermined time or may be tired at will by control means 104. In the latter case, a self contained source of power 108 may be included in the system.

What is claimed is:

1. In a target device having an airframe body consisting of two orthogonal airframe members intersecting along an axis of symmetry and means for connecting the airframe to towing means; the improvement comprising:

fuel burner means on said airframe for producing radiant heat;

storage means on said airframe for storing a supply of fuel;

and

means for supplying fuel to said burner means;

said burner means and said storage means having respective longitudinal axes coincident with said airframe axis;

said burner means being attached to the end of said airframe opposite to said connecting means and said storage means being situated midway between the designated ends such that the center of gravity of said storage means approximately coincides with the center of gravity of the assembled device. 2. In a target device according to claim 1, said burner means further comprising forwardly opening ram air tubes between said airframe members for supplying air to said burner.

* IF 1F 

1. In a target device having an airframe body consisting of two orthogonal airframe members intersecting along an axis of symmetry and means for connecting the airframe to towing means; the improvement comprising: FUEL BURNER MEANS ON SAID AIRFRAME FOR PRODUCING RADIANT HEAT; STORAGE MEANS ON SAID AIRFRAME FOR STORING A SUPPLY OF FUEL; AND MEANS FOR SUPPLYING FUEL TO SAID BURNER MEANS; SAID BURNER MEANS AND SAID STORAGE MEANS HAVING RESPECTIVE LONGITUDINAL AXES COINCIDENT WITH SAID AIRFRAME AXIS; SAID BURNER MEANS BEING ATTACHED TO THE END OF SAID AIRFRAME OPPOSITE TO SAID CONNECTING MEANS AND SAID STORAGE MEANS BEING SITUATED MIDWAY BETWEEN THE DESIGNATED ENDS SUCH THAT THE CENTER OF GRAVITY OF SAID STORAGE MEANS APPROXIMATELY COINCIDES WITH THE CENTER OF GRAVITY OF THE ASSEMBLED DEVICE.
 2. In a target device according to claim 1, said burner means further comprising forwardly opening ram air tubes between said airframe members for supplying air to said burner. 